Our Crowdfunding Groups
Mountaineer Women’s Basketball has a tradition of greatness and that began with Coach Kittie J. Blakemore. She was best known for being the first head women's basketball coach in the history of women's athletics at WVU. After the implementation of Title IX, she started the women's basketball program. She felt strongly about equality for women in the world of sports and played a key role in keeping the women's team going at WVU. She served as the head WVU women’s basketball coach for 19 seasons, amassing over 300 wins.
Served as Associate Professor for the School of Physical Education. Following her coaching retirement, she served as WVU's Assistant Athletic Director for sports development and Senior women's administrator for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Prior to working at WVU, Blakemore taught physical education in public schools empowering and inspiring all ages.
Just as Blakemore served as a pioneer for women’s athletics so does WVU Medicine Children’s and the I Am A Mountaineer project to help those who need it most, the children throughout the region, in need of life-changing care.
For more than 30 years, WVU Medicine Children’s has been committed to serving those in need across the state and beyond its borders through patient care, educating future healthcare providers, and advancing research. WVU Medicine Children’s is growing so families have a place to go when an unexpected illness or injury strikes – a place that will provide hope and healing for generations to come. The nine-story, 150-bed hospital is scheduled to be completed this summer.
However, families need additional space in the hospital so they can receive the care and support they need in the days, weeks, and months it can take to care for our young Mountaineers. We want to arm them with the needed resources while receiving care and services so their sole focus can be on their child. The top floor of the hospital will be a hub of resources for families and will be resemble a West Virginia University locker room. Some of the daily features will include:
No gift is too small. By coming together, we can truly make a difference and continue the legacy of Kittie Blakemore exactly where it began -- working with children. WVU sports' impact spans far beyond Morgantown, just as the care provided through the hospital. We can provide even greater hope for these families with financial support that allows WVU Medicine Children’s to provide much needed programs and services. This financial support will allow the floor you helped create to make an even greater impact, forever changing the course of the state.